Rail misery at Christmas in the UK

by Chas Parker on November 30, 2009

Time to go abroad?

This would be a much better choice for Christmas Day

If you’re thinking of travelling by rail over the festive period – think again!

Numerous part-closures of lines for engineering works are planned over the Christmas and New Year period, with work starting as early as Monday 21 December on some lines and carrying on until Sunday 3 January. Network Rail, which is responsible for the engineering works, said however that more trains would run over the Christmas period than last year.

These will be in short supply over the coming weeks

A total of 28 separate engineering projects will be in place on 27 December, with 21 on 28 December and 16 on 29 December. One of the biggest engineering operations will be in the Southampton area, with services run by First Great Western, Southern, South West Trains and CrossCountry being affected.

Elsewhere, the West Coast main line will be closed south of Coventry, with passengers travelling between Birmingham and London Euston being re-routed via the Chilterns and West London. This will increase journey times by an hour.

If you're lucky...

There will also be reduced services on the London-Birmingham and London-Manchester routes until the New Year. Buses will replace trains between Nottingham and Derby from Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January.

Diversions and replacement bus services will be in operation on Sunday 28 December on Merseyrail’s Liverpool-Chester service and First Great Western’s London Paddington to Cornwall route. Trains between London Victoria and Dover Priory and Ramsgate will be replaced by buses between Sittingbourne and Canterbury East that day as well. A reduced service will operate between London and Reading, Oxford and the Thames Valley from 29 December into the New Year.

Wanna travel by train? This may be what you get

All rail and underground services will be closed on Christmas Day, with a heavily-reduced service across the country on Boxing Day.
Last year engineering work in the Midlands over-ran by five days, resulting in cancellations delays and replacement bus services for passengers on the West Coast mail line.

So if you’re planning to travel at all during this period, check with National Rail Enquiries (08457 484 950 or nationalrail.co.uk) to see how it will affect you.